2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Review

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 2.0 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Great. Love that car!

Faults:

Nothing major as expected for a new car.

The clutch is a tad notchy from 2nd to 3rd (if I am to be picky, but not a fault as such).

General Comments:

Exterior Look: 8/10: It looks like a mini fighter jet, especially if you have it in the right color, sideskirts, spoiler and the right set of alloys. Or you can have the plain jane look, which looks retroish. There is plenty you can do to make it your own. It looks better than other cars in this class.

Interior Look: 7/10: It looks simple in the basic model. I have added a few bits like a new gear boot, touch screen, red racing seats and other bits and pieces to make it look the part. The interior is more on the standard side in comparison to other cars in this class.

Performance: 7/10: It understeers when turning fast into corners, as expected. There is a nice balance in steering, and the rally inspired feel and chassis balance seems to translate even into the base model. The manual transmission is notchy at times. First and second gears are nice and short, to give you enough punch driving around town. It's not a sports car, so don't expect to be the quickest car around, but it holds its own in comparison to other cars in this class.

Overall: 7.5/10: Overall, this is a great car, and there is plenty you can do to it to make it your own. Other plus points that I didn't mention are that it has great leg room (especially in the back seats) and surprising stock sound system with nice heavy bass.

8th Jul 2012, 01:32

Original owner here... I sold the car after 5xxx kms. It is a good family car, or a point A to point B car, but this car is NOT for those who are enthusiasts. Car enthusiasts beware.

Some negatives: The engine sounds terrible after 4000 RPM... Like a blender crushing metal. Rubber seals from the top of the passenger's window started to peel off. The car is slow, but planted and safe. You feel disconnected from the road.

It's a shame really, my love for this car started promisingly high, then it faded to oblivion.